Kasab’s cell escalates cost of barrack work in Arthur Road jail Before embarking on statewide tour, Kanhaiya detained briefly in Bihar CBI officer Abhishek Dular gets extension, 2 more SPS inducted

Government extends tenure of Rajnath Singh’s PS by 2 yrs

MUMBAI: As most of the funds earmarked 13 years ago for the construction of a barrack in Arthur Road jail here were spent on setting up a high security cell for 26/11 terror attacks convict, Ajmal Kasab, the cost of the project has now nearly doubled to Rs 4.49 crore, an official said.

The Maharashtra Home Department on Monday issued a government resolution (GR) sanctioning funds as per the fresh cost estimate for construction and electrification work of barrack-1 in Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai.

“The prisons department was sanctioned Rs 2.62 crore in the 2006-07 financial year for the ground plus one storey structure of the barrack under the central government’s Prisons Improvement Scheme,” an official said on Thursday.

“The funds were sanctioned as per the rates prevailing then. However, after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab was brought to the prison, priority was given for the construction of a high security cell to lodge him,” he added.

“Most of the funds that were sanctioned for the construction of the barrack were then diverted for setting up the high security cell. With the remaining funds, work for the ground floor of the barrack was carried out,” the official said.

Executive Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD) and Prisons department had submitted a fresh proposal stating the cost of the project has escalated to Rs 4.49 crore.

Ten Pakistani terrorists, including Kasab, had launched an attack on key locations in the city on the night of November 26, 2008. The terrorists killed 166 people and injured over 600 others.

While nine of the terrorists were killed during the siege, Kasab was caught alive by the Mumbai police at Marine Drive in south Mumbai.

BETTIAH/MOTIHARI: Leftist leader Kanhaiya Kumar was on Thursday thwarted from addressing a rally in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in West Champaran district of Bihar, where he was detained by officials who told him that permission for the event had been “cancelled” at the eleventh hour.

There was heavy deployment of police when Kumar arrived at the Bhitiharwa Ashram, set up by Mahatma Gandhi, at around 10 am as per schedule, along with hundreds of supporters.

The former JNU student

leader was allowed to enter the premises, garland a statue of Gandhi and take part in singing of devotional songs on the occasion of his death anniversary.

“When we were about to

leave for the venue of the rally in Bettiah, an official came forward to inform that he was the sub-divisional magistrate and we were being detained since permission for our rally was cancelled. He, however, did not produce any official communication in this regard,” Kumar told PTI over phone.

As his supporters grew agitated, Kumar urged them to stay calm and send across the message that they are law-abiding people. He delivered a brief speech, video footage of which was shared on social media and which he signed off in his typical style, with rendition of “azadi” verses.

Kumar was let off after a couple of hours and he subsequently left for Motihari, the headquarters of adjoining East Champaran district to address another rally.

Officials in West Champaran remained tight-lipped over the development though sources in the local administration said on condition of anonymity that the measure was taken in view of the district being “communally sensitive”.

“The permission for rally at Bettiah was cancelled without any valid reason. We were detained and let off after the local administration received instructions from higher authorities,” Kumar said.

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday gave one year extension to CBI officer Abhishek Dular and inducted two more Superintendent of Police (SP) level officers in the probe agency, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Dular, a 2006 batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is working with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

His tenure has been extended upto February 15 next year, the order said.

Neethu Kamal, a 2008 batch

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday extended by two years the tenure of Kundan Kumar, the private secretary to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed

IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, and D Kalyana Chakravarthy, a 2010 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, have by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved extension in central deputation tenure of Kumar, a 2004 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, for a period of two years beyond February 3, 2020, it said.

He was in June last year appointed as the private secretary to the defence minister.

been inducted as SP in the CBI.

Both Kamal and Chakravarthy will have a tenure of four years, the order said.